Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1887-08-30
SWISS HOME LIFE.
Beautiful Children Who Are Linz
guists and Merchants.
Their Rude valley SchooIs-Industriou
and Cheerful Lace Makers The
Long. "Gay WInters-Fkrm-
ing on the Sides Of
Mountains

Mountains
Every Swiss child. no matter what
his or her position or condition in life,
knows how to read and write--if he is
capable Of learning how. have been
surprised to sec how rapidly many. OF
Of he guides and donkey boys can read
any handwriting, or how quickly thysa,
win spell or write the name Of any plaf.s 7
or msantAin inquired about ! have
bssA frequently assured BY our driveryhn
and guides that all children mn st 60 t<a
school three months In . year. The Lave,
they said was sshv, schr strong (veri d
strist) about that; mono could be exts'',
cussi. Ihsve been told. too. that noyro
every Swiss child was required TO learii ~ y
German. whether Il was the Language >
of tAs canton in which he lived or mott,
and nearly all whom I have met coul@v
speak either French or German. Orr
world answer in the language in whicl y
addressed them. unless. quickly pers
ecivmg By my accent that Twas Engiistss
or American. they would answer 81
question put to them in French or GeriE1
nlan m English. Il
In enc Of the deepest Of these Valleys
into which the sun can only send ithe
rays = very few hours in the longesh
days Of summer. and in winter scarccl...e
At all. went into tho little schoolsr
house Of the valley. 1t was chillvss
cherries place. but there vas blacl1o
board. and maps were on the WALL;
The narrow straight backed seats, d
the cheapest construction. seemed sucF
contrast 10 those pleasant comb
Portable desks and seats with which,
nearly all our little country schools
houses ara now furnished; such cone
trast to our bright school-rooms furo.na
nished, often, with globes and picf n
nres. many OF them with flowers, tina - y
could not but with little vanity cor o
gratulstc myself with having at homS ~
In cur oeuntry, the BEST schools In thPf
world. Only that q terrible scarifyet
Of statistics which found in . French
magazine. comparing our own reports
as 10 the numbers who could not read
and write in some OF our so-called most
enlightened States that boast of . won
9rrful school system, with like reports
OF various countries in Europe. quite
took bcasiful spirit out Of mo. School
houses are not schools, and the latter
must be estimated according to what
they do for the people who are taught
In them.
Every little toddling in Switzerland
must also earn its living rs soon a. II
can lisp its own name. either in some
work on in taking care of one younger
than iteclf. All along the roadside
through tho valleys are little board
shelters where. on shelves thus protect
ed. wood carvings and Swiss lace are
offered for sale. or little bright-eyed,
slcnder-hmbed chamois. tended by
some child, is to be seen for few cent
lines to be added TO the store, which is
! to keep these people from starvation
during tho long winter, for which they
must look out with care.
| Under one Of these sheds to-day l
saw two little girls, who had IL in
charge, and stopped to speak with
them- Both were making lace. their
little fingers flying so that / could
hardly see them. rs they handled the
bobbins, any more than the spokes of a
| wheel In full motion. and the smallest
| II these children was no larger than are
most children ut five years old in our
country. though she told me she was
eight When spatted the little head
and expressed surprise that such lit
| tie thing should be able to make lace
30 nicely, tho older sister told
mo with loving pride, that
Anna had earned her own living by
isee-workiDg already for two years.
They begged me to buy the
piece saw her making. '.for there are
five Of us, they said; 1.-TWO younger
| than we are. and we are sehr arDsc, tres
paurrs. very poor" they said. trying,
in three languages. to make me COM
prehend the situation and induce me to
buy. Both could read and write. they
told me
And where Is your motherp"
asked. She was in the field, and their
father was TRACER l. e.. one who
stays about the hotels and gets any job
that comes to hand 4 carrying people.
afraid or unable TO 20 up the mountain
On horseback or on mules. up in q
snair set upon liter. borne by two
.See men Tor exactly the same prica n,
Is paid for morse ana the one man
who leads him up with the man or
woman on his back. Or TRACER
carries up their trunks upon his Shout
ders while they thus ride up, borne by
other ..tragers. The sisters begged
me 70 buy, assuring me again that they
were very poor; they wanted to get
some breakfast, they said
And have You had no breakfast
yetF' asked. for it was now past
twelve o clock
"Sehr scenig." they said; very little.
The mother could not give them any
any this morning; she must go to the
field The elder seemed. mothe. like,
most anxious that the little one should
make sale of her lace. though little
Anna said: ''You see hers Is nicer than
mine. for she is older. you see. and can
make much nicer lace than ! can; OF
course. my lady. 1t is better that YOU
bay hers than mine"
| thought Of Worsisworth's idyi,
I'VE are Seven" The beauty of their